Short Chiropractic

03/23/2026

ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscle

03/20/2026

3 Spring Gardening and Lawn Work Precautions/Recommendations

Springtime is here and people are going out tending to their garden and working their lawn this season by getting plants in the ground, picking weeds, and cutting the grass. So with that in mind, it's to be aware of what to pay attention to when you're out there, especially if you haven't done that much since the end of last season.

1. Watch out for bending over for long periods of time.
Bending over for a long period if you're not used to it or trained for it can lead to straining your low back. A good thing to do would be to take breaks and sit up or stand up after 5-15min depending on your tolerance. Also, if you are working closer to the ground, getting on your knees can save your back a little more. To make it easier you can build up your tolerance of bending over with strengthening your lower back and torso to be able to do more. Building muscle takes time, but can help you do more in the yard.

2. Watch out for heavy lifting.
Heavy bags of mulch and soil, heavy equipment, and plants can lead to injury if you’re not careful. If you don’t lift for exercise, it would be good to use your legs more than your back to prevent injury or have a second person there to distribute the load. If you are 55 or older, be extra cautious with heavy lifting because of the propensity of compression fractures. I’m not saying every time you lift something you will get a compression fracture, but people over that age are more prone to it. They have less bone density and that deteriorates more the older they get. Now if someone has been lifting most of their life, they probably have higher bone density compared to someone who hasn’t, thus having a lower chance of a fracture.
Other people when they lift may be at risk to get a sprain or a strain. Sprains can be from the ligaments surrounding the back/hip area or even the disc itself, which is worse. The disc is worse because it does not get direct blood flow and relies on movement for nutrition. People that have had a sprain of their disc can tell you it's not easy to get moving again with an injury like that. That’s where chiropractic can help get that vertebra moving to help that disc to heal better. If you suspect a sprain, call your chiropractor for an appointment.

3. Watch out for over exertion
Along with the injuries explained above, sprains and strains are something anyone can get and are hard to avoid, even if you are doing everything “right” to prevent it. Strains heal a little quicker compared to sprains because of the amount of blood flow to specific tissue. These can heal on their own depending on the severity with time and proper exercises/treatment. A lot of time they will heal on their own, but not all the time. Chiropractors that we have at Short Chiropractic can do adjustments or spinal manipulation for the spine and/or what is called A.R.T. (Active Release Technique) which can help with sprain ligaments and strained muscles by stretching them in order to heal quicker and get you back in the yard.
It’s also important to avoid getting too hot in the sun. Watch the weather and try to do yard work in the cooler hours of the day when possible. Remember to keep water readily available to stay hydrated. Yard work is exercise and it’s important to replenish your body.

Gardening and lawn work is a great way to get outside to move around and get plenty of vitamin D from the sun. It can help relieve stress and sometimes give people a calm activity to do at their home. People can get a lot of benefit from doing these activities but it can unfortunately for some people lead to injury. Let us at Short Chiropractic get you back to health and doing what you love, moving outside, and doing outdoor activities.

03/18/2026

Low Back Pain
This is the most common reason patients seek chiropractic care. Most low back pain is the result of a mechanical problem and therefore needs a mechanical correction (as opposed to chemical solution i.e. drugs). Subluxation or misalignment of the lumbar vertebra or pelvis is often the cause and will only resolve with correction by chiropractic care. At Short Chiropractic we offer a variety of methods and will customize treatment just for you!

03/14/2026

Decompression Therapy

You hear a lot about disc problems, but sometimes it’s hard to make sense of it all. The human disc has a very important and difficult role to play. The disc sits between each vertebrae to create the spinal column; it surrounds and protects the spinal cord and the pairs of nerves that branch off the cord and exit the spine between the vertebrae. The disc has to be both tough and supple. The disc has to be strong and hold the vertebra together but allow them to move as we bend.
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Each disc has two parts. A gel-like substance in the middle called the nucleus and a tough fibrous outer layer called the annulus fibrosis which is made up of multiple layers laid down in concentric rings. Damage to those rings can allow the disc to bulge and eventually the nucleus can rupture through the rings like the jelly squeezing out of a doughnut. The bulging or ruptured disc can put pressure on the spinal nerves and cause pain, numbness, tingling, and even muscle weakness. If the bad disc is in the neck, the pain, numbness, or weakness will be in a specific pattern in the arm; but if the bad disc is in the low back then the pain and other symptoms will follow a specific pattern in the leg.

Short Chiropractic has different treatments available to treat these disc conditions
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Flexion-Distraction technique utilizes a specially designed table to simultaneously flex the spine while distraction forces are applied literally creating a vacuum inside the disc. Federally funded research has proven this happens as well as showing that it increases the size of the opening for the spinal cord and nerves to pass through without being pinched! This treatment can reduce or resolve bulging or ruptured disc and has saved hundreds of our patients from surgery.
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Computerized decompression therapy can be used for especially challenging conditions in the neck or back. It is similar to old fashion traction but with a few key differences. The computerized control allows us to customize the traction forces and lets your doctor prescribe alternating pull and rest cycles with varying weights and times depending on your specific needs. This creates a "pumping" mechanism on your spine. The computer allows for the gradual increase and decrease in traction weight so your muscles don't fight against it. This makes it much more comfortable for patients. In fact, patients often fall asleep during treatment! The table used for treatment is even designed to separate as the traction is applied which allows more effective treatment with lower weight than traction used to require.
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But, the equipment is only as good as the person in control of it. We have been trained and certified as Kennedy Decompression Practitioners and have over a decade of experience with this equipment.

03/12/2026

Active Release Technique

What is Active Release Techniques (ART) to Individuals, Athletes, and Patients?
ART is a patented, state of the art soft tissue system/movement based massage technique that treats problems with muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia and nerves. Headaches, back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, shin splints, shoulder pain, sciatica, plantar fasciitis, knee problems, and tennis elbow are just a few of the many conditions that can be resolved quickly and permanently with ART. These conditions all have one important thing in common: they are often a result of overused muscles.

How do overuse conditions occur?
Overused muscles (and other soft tissues) change in three important ways:
acute conditions (pulls, tears, collisions, etc),
accumulation of small tears (micro-trauma)
not getting enough oxygen (hypoxia)
Each of these factors can cause your body to produce tough, dense scar tissue in the affected area. This scar tissue binds up and ties down tissues that need to move freely. As scar tissue builds up, muscles become shorter and weaker, tension on tendons causes tendonitis, and nerves can become trapped. This can cause reduced range of motion, loss of strength, and pain. If a nerve is trapped you may also feel tingling, numbness, and weakness.

What is an ART treatment like?
Every ART session is actually a combination of examination and treatment. The ART provider uses his or her hands to evaluate the texture, tightness and movement of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. Abnormal tissues are treated by combining precisely directed tension with very specific patient movements.
These treatment protocols – over 500 specific moves – are unique to ART. They allow providers to identify and correct the specific problems that are affecting each individual patient. ART is not a cookie-cutter approach.

What is the history of Active Release Techniques?
ART has been developed, refined, and patented by P. Michael Leahy, DC, CCSP. Dr. Leahy noticed that his patients’ symptoms seemed to be related to changes in their soft tissue that could be felt by hand. By observing how muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves responded to different types of work, Dr. Leahy was able to consistently resolve over 90% of his patients’ problems. He now teaches and certifies health care providers all over the world to use ART.

03/10/2026

What is Dry Needling?
Dry needling is a specific treatment performed by trained professionals (mostly Chiropractors and PTs) targeting trigger points and associated tight bands of muscles and other painful soft tissues such as fascia, tendons, and ligaments.

A trigger point is a localized, hyper-irritable spot within a tight band of muscle fibers. Trigger points can be found throughout the body and play a role in producing and sustaining pain and discomfort. They develop in a muscle for various reasons including referred or local pain, inflammation or injury including micro trauma from repetitive use.

The needles used are the same solid filament, very fine needles used to perform acupuncture. They are not hollow and cannot inject anything into the body - that’s where the term “dry needling” comes from.

​​How it Works:
The mechanical stimulation of the muscle produces a rapid depolarization of muscle fibers. This dramatically reduces muscle activity and causes relaxation. It further creates a “down regulation” through the nervous system. The reduced muscle tension will remove compression on joints, nerve, and vascular tissue - further reducing pain. It is theorized that Dry Needling also stimulates release of endogenous opioids and initiates a new healing process.

Is it Safe?
We go to great lengths to ensure safety. This begins with a review of the patient history and all contraindications such as clotting abnormalities. Our physicians have completed post-graduate courses and passed their certification exams. Additional post graduate courses providing extensive training in diagnosing and treating “soft tissue” conditions and knowledge of the anatomy involved have been completed. This expertise combined with high-quality equipment support our very high standard of safety.

How Does it Feel?
The needles used are so thin that most patients feel a light, sharp pain with the “stick”. Patients may also feel some level of dull pain while the needles are in place. The more “active” a trigger point is, the more you may feel and typically the more effective the treatment will be.

What Can it Treat?
Osteoarthritis of the spine and extremities
Neck pain and whiplash
Mid and low back pain
Headaches and TMJ
Rotator cuff issues, frozen shoulder
Achilles tendinitis & plantar fasciitis
Hip pain
Tennis or golfers elbow
Athletic injuries
Overuse & repetitive stress injuries

01/26/2026

Short Chiropractic is open today . Monday 1/26/26. If need appointment call the office . 304-733-4616
We will be open all week regular office hours

01/02/2026

12/08/2025